Welfare Reform on the Web (March 1999): Social Housing - Overseas

A BITE OF THE BIG APPLE

M. Britton
Housing, vol. 34, no. 5, June 1998, p. 46-47

Examines policies of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). The NYCHA
has had to tackle the devastating effects of serious crime. It
no longer houses people with convictions for serious drug or violent
offences, and operates a "one strike and you're out policy"
to evict those convicted of serious crime while in public housing.
On the other hand, social, economic and community-based programmes
to improve the quality of life for residents form a major part
of the NYCHA housing service.

In the Netherlands, the proportion of owner-occupied dwellings
is relatively low and the proportion of social rented dwellings
is extremely high. Following the implementation of a revised
Housing Allowance Act in 1997, the annual expenditure by government
on rent subsidies is expected to rise from 2.2 billion to over
3.0 billion guilders. Almost all recipients of housing allowance
will be better off in the short term, but in the long term costs
could spiral out of control leading to severe cut backs.

PRIVATISING PUBLIC HOUSING IN HONG KONG: ITS IMPACT ON EQUITY

A. La Grange
Housing Studies, vol.13, no.4, 1998, p. 507-525

Paper examined the impact of privatising public housing in a rapidly
expanding Asian economy. It is proposed that changes in distribution
of housing subsidies, changes in the quality and quantity of public
housing, and changes in eligibility for public housing could have
occurred. It was found that subsidies remain concentrated in
the public rented sector. There has not been a reduction in the
quality of public housing or a reduction in the construction programme.
Eligibility for public rented housing has not been reduced.